Pre-orders for the new edition of Legend of the Five Rings are now available from Fantasy Flight Games. Like other FFG roleplaying releases, Legend of the Five Rings is getting a Beginner Game that includes four pre-generated characters, an adventure, introductory rules set, tokens, the custom dice required to play, and a map of Rokugan. The boxed set is available for an MSRP of $39.95. The core rulebook will contain all the rules needed to run and play the game, coming in at 336 pages with an MSRP of $49.95. A Gamemaster’s Kit will also be available that includes a GM screen and an adventure set in Slow Tide Harbor. Finally, a dice set including the ten custom six and twelve-sided dice required to play will be available for an MSRP of $12.95 along with a dice app available for iOS and Android. As Fantasy Flight normally does, there is no firm release date at this time, only a release window of “third quarter 2018” for all products. If you can’t wait and would like a peek at the new edition, last year’s playtest “Beta Rules” are still available for free on DriveThruRPG in PDF.

EN World’s own Morrus officially launched Morrus’ Unofficial Tabletop RPG Talk, a new podcast featuring EN World editor Russ “Morrus” Morrissey along with co-host Peter Coffey, director of Dream Park Southampton. The pilot episode, titled “Pilot Episode”, discusses new RPG releases, the Pathfinder 2nd Edition playtest, the new announcements from Wizards of the Coast for Dungeons & Dragons, Kickstarters and other crowdfunding live now, and GM advice from questions submitted by listeners (well, technically the questions weren’t submitted by “listeners” because they weren’t listeners yet since there wasn’t a podcast, but there was a call for questions put out on Twitter so close enough). You can find the show on Podbean, subscribe on iTunes, through your favorite podcasting app or program, on YouTube, or via the RSS feed. And feel free to leave a comment saying how wonderful the sound mixing and editing are and heap loads of praise upon whoever stayed up until 1 AM last night putting it together (it was me, I did the post-production work for the podcast).

If you heard a strange noise Sunday afternoon, it was me screaming for joy when the Microsoft E3 panel was “hacked” and the first full trailer for Cyberpunk 2077 premiered. Based on the R. Talsorian Games roleplaying game Cyberpunk, the game from Witcher developers CD Projekt Red is the first mainstream AAA video game licensed from a tabletop roleplaying game since Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines. And this isn’t an in-name-only adaptation either, as the video game will use the same attributes as the tabletop system and an updated version of the Lifepath character creation. It’s not surprising that the theme and tone as well as the mechanics are carrying over, as Cyberpunk creator Mike Pondsmith is heavily involved in the process. There is no release date yet for the game (though the first teaser trailer premiered in 2013 which was the year the first edition was set, while the second edition was set in 2020), but it can be pre-ordered on Amazon for Xbox One. Excitement for the game has also driven sales of the roleplaying game, as the Amazon Marketplace for used copies of the game’s second edition, Cyberpunk 2020, are now selling for over $100. If you’re wanting to relive the age of retro-future cyberpunk, I’d recommend buying the version on sale for $15 in PDF or $30 in softcover from Drive Thru RPG.

Humble’s latest book bundle is 5e Dungeons, Hordes, & Horrors with over $381 worth of 5e compatible adventures and sourcebooks. The $1 level gets you three PDF game books, a world map of the Lost Lands setting, and a 30% off coupon for Kobold Press, Frog God, or Troll Lord Games. The $8 level adds another twelve books, including Prepared 2 from Kobold Press that has a dozen one-shot adventures for 5e. The $15 level gets you an extra seventeen more books and a pack of poster maps in PDF format and the Items Wondrous Strange book of magic items and treasure. The bundle runs until Wednesday, June 27, and benefits the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society.

Dragonscales Fantasy RPG is a roleplaying game from James M. Ward and Fireside Creations. The game is set in “far away astral dimensions” in a war between heroes and dragons. The game uses the “Ward Card System”, which involves drawing cards from a deck of playing cards, one for the GM and one shared by the players. Black cards indicate a negative result while red cards cause a positive result. The PDF is available for a $25 pledge, a physical softcover copy for $45, and a premium hardcover edition for $50. This project just launched and is still short of its initial funding goal, but has plenty of time to fund as it runs until Monday, July 9.

The Board Game Book is pretty much what it says on the tin. This hardcover coffee table book features professional photography of different hobbyist board games including The Resistance, Pandemic, Dixit, Sakura, Stuffed Fables, and more in its over 250 pages. Each game is also profiled by industry professionals and journalists with detailed write-ups about the games. A digital copy is available for £14 (about US$19) and a hardcover for £20 (about US27), with other reward levels for sponsorships or consultations with designers. This project is also only about two-thirds of the way to its funding goal, but has three weeks to fund as it runs until Thursday, July 5.

Echoes my feelings. But it's also Kobold Press, Troll Lord Games, Gamehole Publishing, and I think a couple of others. There's also a feature on all Humble Bundles if you scroll down that lets you adjust how much of your purchase price goes to the publisher, to Humble, to the charity, and (if it's an affiliate link) to the affiliate.

Echoes my feelings. But it's also Kobold Press, Troll Lord Games, Gamehole Publishing, and I think a couple of others. There's also a feature on all Humble Bundles if you scroll down that lets you adjust how much of your purchase price goes to the publisher, to Humble, to the charity, and (if it's an affiliate link) to the affiliate.

If it really echoes your feeling, it should have been published here...
The other companies should have shied away from joining them.

I am tempted by the new edition of L5R. The art is very pretty and on the other hand that funky dice mechanic

I know, they look intimidating, but the mechanics are similar to the FFG Star Wars and you get used to them faster than you think. You can check out the beta PDF while it's still available and see if it's something you're interested in. And if the mechanics aren't for you, the book will still have plenty of setting and lore information you can use to update your previous edition books or to translate it into another system.

I know, they look intimidating, but the mechanics are similar to the FFG Star Wars and you get used to them faster than you think.

I had to laugh at Morrus's podcast where they said that they played six months of Star Wars and just let the one guy interpret the dice rolls.

You can check out the beta PDF while it's still available and see if it's something you're interested in. And if the mechanics aren't for you, the book will still have plenty of setting and lore information you can use to update your previous edition books or to translate it into another system.

I know that is why I am tempted. Looks like nothing up at Book Depository yet though.

I know that is why I am tempted. Looks like nothing up at Book Depository yet though.

Yeah, FFG seems to market differently to mass market retailers than most other publishers and I've never really looked into why. But it's not on any other retailers yet other than their own store for preorders.

"Call of Cthulhu, the official videogame inspired by Chaosium’s classic pen and paper RPG, today defines madness in its heart-pumping E3 Trailer! Uncover the chilling mysteries of this Narrative RPG game, descending deep into a world of cosmic horrors, creeping madness, and shrouded Old Gods within Lovecraft’s iconic universe.

1924. Private Investigator Edward Pierce is sent to investigate the tragic death of the Hawkins family in their imposing mansion on the isolated Darkwater Island, off the shores of Boston. Between unfriendly locals and dubious police reports, it becomes clear there’s more to the case than meets the eye. Soon enough, Pierce is plunged into a terrifying world of conspiracies, cultists, and cosmic horrors…

In this world, nothing is as it seems. Sanity is an irregular bedfellow, all too often replaced by the whisperings in the dark. Strange creatures, weird science, and shadowy cults dominate the Cthulhu Mythos, intent on realizing their mad schemes to bring about the end of everything. Your mind will suffer - balancing a razor-thin line between sanity and madness, your senses will be disrupted until you question the reality of everything around you. Trust no one. Creeping shadows hide lurking figures… and all the while, the Great Dreamer prepares for his awakening.

About the cyberpunk videogame I have been wondering... this may be a future success, a true blockbuster, how many money if we compare it with the "pencil, paper and dices" version? In Spain Cyberpunk 2020 was a known rpg and a lot of sourcebooks were published in our language, but it wasn't very popular among the first Spanish roleplayers, not as D&D or World of Darkness, and it was one of the first ones to be forgotten. And then this videogame arrives and "razes" ( = it is a great success).

Is it the industry of the videogame the future or almost lost franchises/IPs from RPGs and miniatures games?

"Call of Cthulhu, the official videogame inspired by Chaosium’s classic pen and paper RPG, today defines madness in its heart-pumping E3 Trailer! Uncover the chilling mysteries of this Narrative RPG game, descending deep into a world of cosmic horrors, creeping madness, and shrouded Old Gods within Lovecraft’s iconic universe.

1924. Private Investigator Edward Pierce is sent to investigate the tragic death of the Hawkins family in their imposing mansion on the isolated Darkwater Island, off the shores of Boston. Between unfriendly locals and dubious police reports, it becomes clear there’s more to the case than meets the eye. Soon enough, Pierce is plunged into a terrifying world of conspiracies, cultists, and cosmic horrors…

In this world, nothing is as it seems. Sanity is an irregular bedfellow, all too often replaced by the whisperings in the dark. Strange creatures, weird science, and shadowy cults dominate the Cthulhu Mythos, intent on realizing their mad schemes to bring about the end of everything. Your mind will suffer - balancing a razor-thin line between sanity and madness, your senses will be disrupted until you question the reality of everything around you. Trust no one. Creeping shadows hide lurking figures… and all the while, the Great Dreamer prepares for his awakening.

Call of Cthulhu releases on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC in 2018."

Oooh, thank you! This fell completely under my radar! I even watched most of the major panels...going to have to look into this.

About the cyberpunk videogame I have been wondering... this may be a future success, a true blockbuster, how many money if we compare it with the "pencil, paper and dices" version? In Spain Cyberpunk 2020 was a known rpg and a lot of sourcebooks were published in our language, but it wasn't very popular among the first Spanish roleplayers, not as D&D or World of Darkness, and it was one of the first ones to be forgotten. And then this videogame arrives and "razes" ( = it is a great success).

Is it the industry of the videogame the future or almost lost franchises/IPs from RPGs and miniatures games?

Here's the thing with video games versus tabletop roleplaying games. Based on the information from ICv2 (who monitors sales through hobby distribution channels), the entire tabletop roleplaying market is worth in gross sales US$45 million as of 2016.

That's the entire market. Including all of D&D, Pathfinder, and every other tabletop roleplaying game you can think of. Now that's "hobbyist channels" which means brick and mortar game stores and many companies (including WotC and Paizo) don't release sales figures to the public. But even being generous with sales in chain bookstores and online like Amazon...

For comparison, the reboot of DOOM was released the same year for PC, Xbox One, and PS4. It made over US$30 million its first weekend alone...on PC alone. So one AAA title made more on one platform in a weekend than the entire tabletop roleplaying game industry made in hobby stores the entire year.

That's why the fact CD Projekt Red is working so hard to make Cyberpunk 2077 like the tabletop game is so impressive because tabletop RPGs are a rounding error compared to video games. It's like comparing comic books to comic book movies. Marvel Comics' annual sales for the entire publishing line are just below the annual sales numbers for backpacks with pictures of Spider-man sold in the month of August.

The short version: Video games outsell tabletop roleplaying games by an order of magnitude. And that's even with the rapidly growing overall market.

Reviews

Sure you may have seen all the films and watched the shows and maybe even played the games, but has any of that prepared you for the time when the undead come for your brains? No worry friend, Renegade Game Studio and Hunters Entertainment have you covered.

I’m not much of a RIFTS player, but I love the lore, fluff, story—whatever one chooses to call it—surrounding RIFTS. Sometimes, I’ll incorporate some material from the RIFTS World Books into my D & D campaign. That’s precisely what I’ve done recently with a homebrew Castlevania game I’m working on. I’ve used some material from this book for the upcoming campaign.

You chased a thief into a swamp, trekked through trackless forests and bogs, and fought your way out of an ambush set by orx. Just another day as wandering adventurers in Zweihänder the grim and perilous RPG.

On Saturday, September 22nd, Failbetter Games launched Skyfarer, a tabletop RPG tie-in to Sunless Skies, their steampunk literary RPG video game. Available exclusively through TabletopGaming.co.uk, this promotional tool hypes the video game franchise by bringing it to the world of tabletop. The day it dropped, one of the members of my gamer group - a fan of the PC version - downloaded it, read it, and learned the rules, so we put aside our regular game and slung dice in the world of Sunless Skies on launch day. What follows is a recounting of that game.